In 2022 the Podravje region (Slovenia) became part of the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) and was selected as one of the 12 CCRI pilots being supported for the implementation of Circular Systemic Solutions (CSS) which could provide answers to major challenges beyond resource management and waste/water recovery.

The region is now developing a circular bioeconomy strategy which is the key document describing the available regional resources and linking them to suitable CSSs.

So far, two rounds of consultations with regional stakeholders have been organised and 9 key CCSs have been identified as the key activities within 4 priority areas:

• developing biobased products
• reclaiming resources
• producing regional resources
• capacity building to foster circular bioeconomy.